Process of making iron and steel and product



Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE? JAMES A. CARSON, O1! SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, ASSIGNOR TO UTAH METALS FLUX COM- PANY, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, A CORPORATION OF UTAH rnocnss or MAKING IRON Io Drawing. 1 Application filed March 4,

This invention relates to the production of iron directly from itsore having -remarkable properties as compared with cast iron and in many respects equal to or better than 5 the properties of ordinary carbon steels.

A suitable procedure in accordance with my invention is as follows:

40 pounds of 50 per cent iron oxide ore, such as that found inthe iron ore deposits in Michigan, and 6 pounds of shale, such as that found in the northern central portion of Emery County, Utah, southeast of Price, Utah, and south of Price River and Desert Lake, are placed in a crucible in alternate layers beginning with the'shale at the bottom and heated to about from 2900 to 3200 F. for about 3 to 3 hours. The mass boils during the heating thereby providing its own agitation. The metal is then poured go into a billet, for instance in an iron mold, allowed to cool until it has solidified then broken out of the mold and allowed to cool on the floor. In this form and without any further treatment it has a carbon content :5 of about 1.02%, a Brinnell hardness of 304,

is very tough but easily machined and shows a fine, close fibrous grain. It takes a high polish, is highly resistant to corrosion and to the action of the weaker acids, and can betempered by the methods customarily employed for treating carbon steels. A satisfactory chemical analysis of the shale used in this process cannot be given, but the shale may be further described and identified as varying in color from light yellow to dark brown, having a silky texture and a greasy feel, and containing dikes or veins or impregnations of a material of jet black color. It is found associated with the so-called Dakota sand stone deposits. Two particular deposits of the shale are located at Township-Range 17 South, 10 East, Sections 12 and 24.

I have furtherfoundthat the metal produced as described aboveor even cast iron, which has been treated as described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,712,879 dated May 14, 1929, to Ernest, S. Fisher, with the shale above referred to, that is, 60 by cooking the metal with 1 to 10%, pref- AND STEEL AND' PRODUCT .1930, Serial No. 433,188.

erabl 4: to 6% of the shale, when melted toget er with about an equal weight of ordinary scrap steel gives, upon casting, a metal of light gray color having a close granular grain, capable of taking a high polish" and having a Brinnell hardness of about 220, and a tensile strength of from 30,000 to 36,000 pounds per square inch. This metal is easily poured into fine close grained castings free from pin holes and pits, and can be pouredunder ordinary casting conditions at much lower temperatures than ordinary cast iron. It is easily machined and can be heat-treated at. 1200 F. and cold-quenched to a product suitable for use as die rings, etc. It resists corrosion better than ordinary cast iron. .A typical analysis shows 2.35% silicon and 3.4% carbon and a very low sulfur and phosphorus content.

M invention is not limited specifically to the etails of procedure described, excepting as may be required by the terms of the appended claims. The proportion of ore to shale, thespecific manner of heating them in contact with each other, the temperature and time of heating,all may be varied and other materials may be added to the mixture.

I claim:

1. Process which comprises heatin a mixture of iron oxide ore and shale su stantially identical with that found in the northern central portion of Emery County, Utah, south of Price River and Desert Lake, to a temperature of about from 2900 to 3200 F. and casting the resulting metal.

2.-Process which comprises heatin a mixture of about 40 parts by weight 0 percent iron oxide ore and 6 parts by wei ht of shale substantially identical with t at found in the northern central portion of Emery County, Utah, south of Price River and Desert Lake, to a temperature in the neighborhood of 3000 F. for about 3 hours and casting the resulting metal.

3. As a new product, cast metal produced by heating iron oxid ore with shale substantially identical with that found in the northern central ortion of Emery County,- Utah, south of Price River and Desert Lake,

' to a temperature in the neighborhood of 3000 F., and casting the resulting metal, said product consisting principally of iron and having a carbon content of about 1% and being capable of being tempered by the methods customarily employed for treating carbon steel.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

JAMES A. CARSON. 

